The Washington critic., 1887-02-25
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points of Attraction.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

THE WAY TO REACH THEM.
Washington is fast becoming the
most attractive city Of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation 1t presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and
brief directory of Its prominent points
will be Of service to the vast number of
persons who annually resort to the po.
li,ical metropolis. For It Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects of In.
terest which 70 thickly stud the his.
toric "Ten Miles Square,"
The System OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, Is used-one hun.
dred numbers being allotted 10 each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east. iunning
east, A street north, running north, and
street south, running south. The odd mum
Ing from the. Capitol. and the even numbers
on the icit.hand side. The city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest, southeast and southwest, the
running north and south numerically, and
those running east and west by the letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
Nor,h and South Capitol streets. running
on u line due north and south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and contin,Ia
tlon On the same west Of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
rhis great building is the central point OF the
original District, and Is tho largest ediiico
II nS S WasSisn rs senFs THE maadi mac ss SS
Immediately under the dome, is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by tho
British In 1874, but was completely restored
remains Of washington were intended to be
placed, the Library, tho Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery Of
statuary, and the old Senate Chamber. now
the Supreme Courtroom. The old Supreme
Courtroom, In the first story, Is now oocu-
pied by the Law Branch of the Library.
The cornerstone Of the Capitol extenslon-
ss n pdns and wSntsr sSas Sa d S
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. Tho south wing contains the
House Of Representatives, and the north
tinguished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors. with their bas
rcliefs. and for Brumidi's irescoings. In tine
Hall Of Statuary arc the natural pictures of
Potomac marble, representing faces OF Ger.
tain. American statesmen-a picturesque
freak OF nature. From the little rotunda,
Immediately north Of the great rotunda, the
staircase to the top Of the dome ne begins Its
as far as the visitor can ascend, tho view
Of the surrounding. country Is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds, which formerly were
sSe%ey BEEN ana n into ahSi
park and are now most exquIsitely beauti.
ful. The east base of tho Capitol is 69lh
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac.
.A,1E Eal- anut hna to hat tntN
Of the temple covering the dome is ass feet
the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty, 10}6
feet, making the total height to the crest OF
the statue so.lf feet. This crest Is ls9o feet
and and Sa7 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 24s feet lower than the apox Of the Wash
ington Monument, which Is Immediately
wds and nae Governs s iftt IS liz
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t Is moreover the growth Of
lis beauty and Interest. The original Capi-
iol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
though not a slavish one, Of the Maison
Cariee at Nlsmes. The view from tho west
portico at night, when the lamps are lit In
the public grounds and the lights Of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one OF tho most
beautiful and picturesque,ln the world and
Is well worth journey OF thousand miles
The White House.
From the west balcony oil tho Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing Its snowy-hued walls
bowers It, Ikea gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid Its enfolding green blades. Were
it'not for the partly Intervening Treasury
building the view Of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete. The
White House is the center OF Uptown" as
the Capitol is the center Of Down town."
1t is beautifully located, the view from the
front the city, as view from the north
up Sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze.
The White House Is copy Of the palace OF
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin. with the
addition of "a large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Tackson's
administration. The reservation in which
main entrance Is on tho north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
stories high on the north, Is built of white
free-stone, 10 feet long by SO Wide. II con-
tains on the first floor tho famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and tho great conscrvatories. The
Blue Room is the Presidents official recep-
pe am H1a hf Se Es RS Of easna ns nass
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1897, and IN the latter part Of the
century used as q drying-room for clothes
most noted room In the building. 1t Is 2,
feet high, 80 feet long and 10 wide. It is
open to visitors every day except Sundays.
stas are lSGs the Cabinet n ths prbyatS
and the family apartments. All these
rooms except the latter are open to visitors,
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
Due north from tho White House Is Lafayette
Square, tho first public reservation In Wash
equestrian statue Of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old forest
monarchs, hundreds OF years old. IL Is In
gardening so fashionable in England two
hundred years ago, a style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
9s ySeaTSs aso Pas
which st. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east, on which arc situated the At
torney Generals office formerly the Freed
and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
merly used as tho United States Bank,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner FIJI
teenth and a-half and Il streets, and the
old Club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel Z. Sickles, Mem
ber of Congress from New York. The last
bodies from this graveyard were not re-
moved until 1919.
st. Johns II. II. Church.
st. Johns p, Z. churcn, which has been often
called the State Church because more Presi'
dents have worshlpped there than at any
other, stands at the corner of II and six
teenth streets. IT was built In 1916 and on
larged In $50. In II have worshlpped Pres
idents Madison, Monroe, john Quincy
Adams Though the latter was u Congrega'
tlonallstj Martin Van Buren,, though he be
longed TO the Dutch Reformed Church, Har
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor Fillmore tthougl
the latter was u Unitarian, Pierce, Bueh
anaA and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln,
johnson and Grant have also attended Di
vine services here although not steadily. II
interior reminds one very forcibly OF the
old dim English country Episcopal churches
The Treasury Department..
| The Treasury Department is east of the White
House and extends the whole length of thC
front between Pennsylvania and New York
avenues, IL Il 5ss feet long by 800 feet wide
The central east portion Is built Of freostone